bent/messed up tail feathers

so ferris (my gcc) is about seven months old, i’ve had him for five or six of those months. i try to have him out as much as i can but while i’m at school he has to stay in his cage as we have two cats and if he’s left out of his cage he loves to run around the door for ages, getting their attention with his tail.

if i’m busy while in my room he’ll be in his cage, but thats where the problem starts. for the whole time he can see me, he bends his butt up so that his tail feathers are stuck against/beside his tummy, causing them to bend and even split slightly. he preens his tail while doing this but leaves his feathers disheveled. i know he’s doing this for attention, but is it hurting him? he hasn’t molted yet other than a few pin’s on his neck and head, his tail feathers are all there, but two are bent and one looks like it has a tiny crack, or at least i can see a slither of white where it’s bent. if you could make sense of this post, i’d really like to know how to get him to stop and if any of you have had a conure doing this? does it hurt him?

I don't think it hurts, uncomfortable probably. The simple solution would be to allow him out, if you're say just tidying or working on a school project he can be out hanging around with you. Whilst play time and true attention is needed they also are happy to just chill with you preening or munching on a little treat

The Rickeybird kept his tail feathers messed up for the first couple of years of his life. Then he began taking care of them. Go figure. I think it's a kid-conure thang!